From outer wear . . . 
. . . to inner wear, they've got you covered. I'm most impressed by how this "bamboo chic" fabric seems to have its own internal thermostat. It doesn't make you too hot when you're inside or leave you too cold when you're outside. It's just right.
This pastime goes from ho hum to aesthetically pleasing if you happen to have this contraption, or something like it, hanging from your kitchen counter. I think the H found ours at IKEA.
Happy holidays to everyone and happy 2010!
Check the ingredients.
Snook getting in on the raw-egg act.
A splash of this and a stir of that.
And voila!
Tis the season to eat!
The H made the prettiest and tastiest heirloom tomato salad the other night with homemade bleu cheese dressing. I'm hoping against hope that his passion for cooking runs in the family, as in S 'n' B start whipping up gourmet goodies for us any time now.
At least I have the pictures to remember them by. Boo hoo hoo . . .
I haven't picked up this book yet, but it's on my short list of things to read. You know, it wasn't that long ago when girls who were graduating from college with a ring on their fingers were presented with a corsage, while their spinster sisters got a lemon. With the college's blessing, no less. You can listen to the author's enthusiastic synopsis here and read the review here. 
This picture kind of says it all.
What is the frickin' deal!?! I forgot to bring my trusty bottle of Tabasco sauce to work yesterday, the result being my veggies and cheese sandwich was beyond bland and practically inedible. It never used to be like this. Are the taste buds the first things to go? Not that the rest of me is completely intact, but c'mon!
Snook is all ready for the 2010 birthday party circuit with this new dress, courtesy of her grammie. But it might be a good idea to have a couple of back-ups, just in case this one should fall victim to a chocolate cupcake, overzealous paintbrush or a tempting mud puddle. In case you were wondering, Mom/Grammie. Love.
Which is great for painting . . .
. . . potty training . . .
. . . and for generally acting silly.
Not so great for playing tea-party-dress-up. But still so cute and gratifying to see how much he adores her.
As fun as our recent trip to the happiest place on earth was, the highlight for me may have been dinner on our way home at Mr. Pete Burgers (the H has been sporting their t-shirt for years). Where the burgers are fresh and flavorful, and the fries strike that perfect balance between crispy and potatoey, with just the right amount of finger-lickin' saltiness. You know the fast food is good when you get in your car the next day and the lingering aroma makes your stomach growl, not turn over. If you ever find yourself craving a burger on that stretch of highway between San Diego and Anaheim, I would highly recommend stopping by.
Family jungle cruise ride
Sending the Chargers some love from afar
Good boy, Pluto!
Awaiting the Princess and the Frog riverboat extravaganza
There's Princess Tiana!
Snook got a case of the bashfuls
Until it came time to negotiate, of course.
Luckily, we had two brave kids at the Santa Claus meet and greet. Bubs even piped up when asked what he would like for Christmas, "Choo choo train, pees." That place is so much fun!
Can you tell my Uncle Todd used to drive a taxi? So did my dad!
Forget about ties, power drills and aftershave. Your guy would probably prefer a helping of Brulee this holiday season. From what I can see, Kiki and Perla have nothing on these newcomer trifles, direct from NYC. Not that those oldies wouldn't be goodies too . . . And in that much-loved category of gifts that keep on giving.
So why haven't mommy cards taken off? Are they a little dorky? Over the top? More to the point, would you be scared of a mom who handed you one of these? Perhaps. But I do remember brainstorming with my mother-in-law once about how I could go about designing something like this because I truly thought they might come in handy. Looks like my mompreneurial ambitions (such as they are) were thwarted once again!
Sweet Ballerina - Brunette Stretched Canvas by Karina Bania
I heard about San Diego Food Bank’s FOOD 4 KIDS BACKPACK PROGRAM a little while ago on NPR, and now thanks to Alice I am finally getting involved. Everyone else can too! Here's what it's all about:
The H made us the most delicious Mad Men dinner last Sunday night. It was a pickled vegetable salad with prosciutto and a soft-boiled egg. Inspiration can be found here. The H, the dinner, the dirty martini, the Draper-- I was definitely feeling the love.
Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Then, little Bubs couldn't decide if he wanted to be an elephant or Peter Criss from the band KISS. So he ended up being both.
"Peter Criss," wearing his pink ribbon to help raise awareness.
My neighbor, Joy, made all of the boys' KISS costumes. They looked awesome!
And Halloween dinner was the same way. Should we serve bison steaks or buffalo steaks? We served both.
Our friends, Amber and Jay
It was both a very spooky AND A VERY FUN Halloween, indeed!
These Toobs from Safari Ltd. are my new kids' toy obsession. Both S 'n' B gravitate toward small figurines, for some reason. I hear this about my friends' kids too, come to think of it. Easy enough for Snook, but poor Bubs has been playing with mini-princesses long enough. Last week, I finally found something called the Dino Toob, and now I'm out to collect all of them. There are pirates, zoo animals, steam trains, cars . . . all non-toxic, all super fun, all under $10. Even the caps are fun with their rotating globes. Great gift idea too!
This poster represents what I think will be one of my toughest parenting challenges-- letting my kids do their own thing regardless of what I think is right or good or acceptable.
